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A Bit about Beer

Track Day
4x800m Sprints
4 min rest intervalWant to know a dirty little secret about beer? It’s made of GRAINS. If you thought you were avoiding grains by cutting bread, pasta, and crackers, and still drinking beer, think again. Grains cause a few health concerns, including two major problems: inflammation and spiking of insulin levels.

Problem 1: Inflammation. Ever had a stomachache after drinking beer and wonder why? I would put money on the grains. Many grains contain a special protein called lectin, also referred to as gluten. Gluten is not easily broken down in your stomach. If not broken down, it travels into your intestines and there causes damage to cells, often resulting in tiny holes. These holes allow bacteria and other substances to leak into the blood stream (they don’t belong there). This is where autoimmune (inflammation) response comes in.

Problem 2: Spiking Insulin. Whatever your beer of choice, it’s going to spike your insulin levels. Here’s what happens. Insulin is released in response to consumption of sugar (beer is mostly carbs, aka. sugars). Insulin is the messenger that tells your cells to absorb glucose so you can use it as energy. Like anything else, your cells have a max glucose capacity, and when full, the excess sugars are then converted to fat. If you are consuming too much sugar, your body over produces insulin. Sustained insulin production over time will cause your cells to desensitize; leading to a host of other problems like increase in fat stores, and ultimately diabetes.

Is it all bad with beer? Absolutely not… like anything else, in moderation, it’s just fine… plus it contains an awesome amount of B vitamins (but I would, of course, choose vegetables over beer for those!)

If you are looking for an easy way to get vitamins minus the inflammation, check out our recipe for Paleo Toscana soup!